Research in psychotherapy must address a central problem: To what extent are therapeutic effects the result of specific factors, such as manipulations, interpretations, and other technical operations, as opposed to the extent to which the effects can be fully understood as a result of the nonspecific, placebolike components inherent in any benign human relationship which affect the patient's expectations and hope. Therefore, it is necessary to answer the question of what is "left over" once the nonspecific effects of the therapeutic influence are adequately accounted for. If the residue is substantial, it will represent the matrix from which it may be possible to isolate specific factors; contrariwise, further search appears futile. The project is designed to test the hypothesis that psychotherapy carried out by competent psychotherapists working under optimal conditions produces changes which are quantitatively and qualitatively different from changes produced by a benign human relationship instituted for therapeutic purposes. Specifically, two groups of patients will be treated by highly experienced professional psychotherapists and nonprofessionals (college professors selected for their interpersonal skills) respectively. Appropriate controls are also being studied. The target syndrome is based on an MMPI configuration (Depression, Psychothasthenia, and Social Introversion). Special attention is focused on selection of a highly homogeneous patient population.